Applying to leverage schools' scholarship offers question Forum

[WilliamFaulkner]

Stats: 3.90-3.95, 169

I will be applying to schools outside of the T14 due to to the decent probability that they will offer me more money than T14 schools, which I can then use to bump up the T14 $$$.

I have a few questions:

-How low can I go?

Obviously, I can't sway NYU with Cardozo. But can I sway them with Fordham (#36)? Or should I limit myself to schools just outside the T14, like UCLA, USC, WUSTL, Vanderbilt, Emory?


- How many schools should I apply to for these purposes?

1, 5, 10?


Do I need to write "Why" essays to guard against yield protection?


Thanks!

[cavalier1138]

What are your career goals?

Without knowing that, it's hard to say which schools might be worth targeting outside the T13. But to generally respond to your other question: no, NYU will not care about Fordham's scholarship offer. T13 schools tend to not be persuaded very strongly in scholarship negotiations by anything outside of another T13 offer/scholarship. For example, Northwestern's formal negotiation process only allows you to report scholarship offers from T20 schools (with a strong implication that lower-ranked schools carry less weight). And most admissions departments have very specific ideas of who they consider "peer" institutions.

[WilliamFaulkner]

DOJ/SEC. I want to go to the T14 for this reason and am applying outside of it strictly to leverage their offers

[Justtrying2help]

T-13 or bust. Maybe Vanderbilt because your scores are in range for their full tuition plus a 5K stipend scholarships and their hiring numbers are okay, but definitely no lower than that.

[WilliamFaulkner]

T-13 or bust. Maybe Vanderbilt because your scores are in range for their full tuition plus a 5K stipend scholarships and their hiring numbers are okay, but definitely no lower than that.

My question was not where should I go but where I should apply outside of the T14 in order to leverage those schools' offers to gain $$$ at T14 schools.

[Yugihoe]

THe correct answer is to apply and see what you get and then decline and retake if you don't get much money, no reason not to have a 171+

I'd rather sit out and get a full ride, then work an extra 4 years to pay back the same amount of tuition. You're not going to leverage much with your non t-13 acceptance.

[Justtrying2help]

T-13 or bust. Maybe Vanderbilt because your scores are in range for their full tuition plus a 5K stipend scholarships and their hiring numbers are okay, but definitely no lower than that.

My question was not where should I go but where I should apply outside of the T14 in order to leverage those schools' offers to gain $$$ at T14 schools.

Schools outside the t-13 don't give you leverage inside the t-13. A full ride to Vanderbilt is a respectable offer that may get you more money from the lower t-13 but that's it. A full ride to WUSTL is useless for negotiations because many people with your lsat score get full tuition scholarships there. There are very few ways to leverage a t-13 school outside of using a scholarship from another top-13 school.

TLDR: You are likely wasting your time and money if you apply to schools outside of the t-13 with your numbers. Very little to no leverage can be gained by doing so. This is what I meant by my previous post.

[WilliamFaulkner]

T-13 or bust. Maybe Vanderbilt because your scores are in range for their full tuition plus a 5K stipend scholarships and their hiring numbers are okay, but definitely no lower than that.

My question was not where should I go but where I should apply outside of the T14 in order to leverage those schools' offers to gain $$$ at T14 schools.

Schools outside the t-13 don't give you leverage inside the t-13. A full ride to Vanderbilt is a respectable offer that may get you more money from the lower t-13 but that's it. A full ride to WUSTL is useless for negotiations because many people with your lsat score get full tuition scholarships there. There are very few ways to leverage a t-13 school outside of using a scholarship from another top-13 school.

TLDR: You are likely wasting your time and money if you apply to schools outside of the t-13 with your numbers. Very little to no leverage can be gained by doing so. This is what I meant by my previous post.

thank you for your help. this thread was started after speaking to a UVA student who leveraged a BU offer to get some more money. i suppose she was an exception to the rule. appreciate you!